William visits Kate in hospital

Image source, Reuters

Prince William arriving at hospital to visit Catherine

By Sean Coughlan

Royal correspondent

Prince William has visited his wife Catherine in hospital as she recovers from her surgery, says Kensington Palace.

The Princess of Wales is said to be "doing well" in her recovery.

Catherine has spent her second night in hospital after the operation in the London Clinic private hospital.

Kensington Palace revealed on Wednesday afternoon that the princess had undergone "abdominal surgery".

That unexpected news was soon followed by Buckingham Palace announcing that King Charles was going to have a procedure for an enlarged prostate.

Image source, EPA

Catherine spent a second night in the London Clinic

The specific details of Catherine's "abdominal surgery" remain private, but it is understood not to be cancer related and it was planned rather than a medical emergency.

But it is clearly serious enough to require a couple of weeks in hospital and then several months of recuperation, which will see the Princess of Wales missing official duties at least until after Easter.

The latest updates on her condition have been reassuring, suggesting a good recovery.

And the degree of information about her hospital stay shows a greater openness than in previous years, when royal health mostly remained behind a screen of privacy.

The princess had last been seen in public at Christmas, when she had appeared well, after a busy series of engagements, including her televised carol concert from Westminster Abbey.

The willingness of King Charles to go public about his benign enlarged prostate also shows a greater degree of frankness.

But it also seems motivated by a desire to raise public awareness about prostate problems and to remove any reluctance to talk about it and to encourage more men to get their own checks.

In the United States there was a row this month when US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had not initially informed President Biden that he was being treated for a prostate problem.

The hospital procedure for the King's prostate is expected to be a relatively brief interruption to his work, and it won't require any stand-ins for his constitutional role as head of state.

Prince William will be spending more time with his wife, while she recovers, which is expected to mean changes to his planned schedule.

There had been expectations of a royal trip this spring for the Prince and Princess of Wales, including reports of a visit to Italy, which now seem likely to have to be rearranged.

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